WORLD
Taliban denies kidnapping reports near Kabul airport
"The report about kidnapping is a rumor. The Taliban members are helping all foreign nationals to get access to the airport. We are determined to provide safe passage to all foreigners to get to the airport," Ahmadullah Waseq, a Taliban spokesperson, told local media Eitlalatroz. He said Taliban forces were escorting about 150 Indian citizens to safely enter the airport, reports Xinhua news agency.
Taliban 'set woman on fire for bad cooking', shipping sex slaves in coffins
Najla Ayoubi, who lives in the US after "fleeing for my life" from the Taliban, said she has heard horrific examples of violence against women since the militants took control of her homeland on August 15, reports metro.co.uk. She said one woman was "put on fire because she was accused of bad cooking for Taliban fighters" in the north of the country. Other young women are being forced into marriage and sexually abused.
150 Indians allegedly abducted from Kabul airport but later released: Reports
The reports also said that these Indians were taken to the nearby area of Alokozai compound, a garage designated for US forces, as there was a huge rush at the airport and the Taliban allegedly inspected their documents and released them. The abductors later ushered them to the right place at the airport from where their evacuation flight would take off for India after getting the slot, the report added.
Taliban seize American weapons including aircraft, missiles
Scores of videos have emerged of Taliban fighters rejoicing near abandoned American helicopters, carrying US-supplied M24 sniper rifles and M18 assault weapons, stacking other small arms and materiel in unending piles and driving Humvees and other US-made military trucks. The Taliban have seized airplanes, tanks and artillery from Afghan outposts and from evacuating US personnel.
FB allows users in Afghanistan to instantly lock their accounts
When their profile is locked, people who aren't their friends can't download or share their profile photo or see posts on their timeline, said Facebook's head of security policy Nathaniel Gleicher. "On Instagram, we're rolling out pop-up alerts in Afghanistan with specific steps on how to protect your account," he said in a series of tweets late on Friday. "We also temporarily removed the ability to view and search the 'Friends' list for Facebook accounts in Afghanistan to help protect people from being targeted," he added.
1bn kids live in extremely high-risk countries of climate impacts: Unicef
These children face a deadly combination of exposure to multiple climate and environmental shocks with a high vulnerability due to inadequate essential services, such as water and sanitation, health care, and education, Xinhua news agency quoted the report released on Friday as saying. Children living in the Central African Republic, Chad, Nigeria, Guinea, and Guinea-Bissau are the most at risk, threatening their health, education, and protection, and exposing them to deadly diseases, it says.
'Taliban wants ties with all countries, including US', says Taliban Political Chief
"The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan wants diplomatic and trade ties with all countries, particularly with the United States of America," Baradar said in a tweet. Baradar denied media reports that the Taliban has not intended to have diplomatic and trade ties with Washington, reports Xinhua news agency. "We never talk about cut of trade ties with any countries. Rumor about this news has been a propaganda. It is not true," he said.
No co-education in universities, first Fatwa by Taliban
In a three-hour meeting between university lecturers, owners of private institutions, and the Taliban officials, the latter said that there is no alternative and justification for continuing co-education and must be ended. Afghanistan has a mixed system of both co-education and separate classes with schools functioning separate classes while co-education is applied both in government and private universities and institutes around the country.
Situation across Afghanistan remains extremely fluid: UN
Shabia Mantoo, the spokesperson for the UNHCR, said at a press briefing here on Friday that while widespread fighting had decreased since the takeover of the country by the Taliban on August 15, the full impact of the evolving situation was not yet clear, reports Xinhua news agency. The vast majority of Afghans were not able to leave the country through regular channels, Mantoo said, adding that some 200 UNHCR colleagues, both national and international, remained in Afghanistan.
US imposes new sanctions against Russia over Navalny, Nord Stream 2
The Department of the Treasury said in a statement on Friday that it designated nine Russian individuals and two Russian entities "involved in Navalny's poisoning or Russia's chemical weapons program", reports Xinhua news agency. Many designated are members of Russia's Federal Security Service.
Don't Miss
Advertisement